Black as Night
by DrtyDiva
Summary: Black as pitch blacker than the foulest witch. A tale of triumph and sorrow of the short life of Regulus Arcturus Black
1. Prologue

The storm raging on outside the family home. The wind was blowing rubbish bins down the street and the water was lapping up against the ankles of the few stragglers outside. It was one of the worst storms in history. Sirius was downstairs in the drawing room with his father. He was finally getting a baby brother. He was pleased as he was tired of playing with his female cousins whom truth be told he didn't even like. His father was proud to have been one of the few Black men to produce two sons. His brother had three girls. The family hadn't been pleased and Orion's chest swelled as he sat in his armchair by the fireplace holding his goblet of goblin wine. Two boys. The gleam in his eye was apparent from across the room, but Sirius didn't comment on it.

His wife Walburga was upstairs with the midwife and her sister delivering his second son. It was a proud day for the house of Black.

CRACK!

The lightening shot across the sky and threw a blinding white shadow across the floor. Sirius yelped and retreated behind his father's chair.

"Sirius!" Orion roared. "Get over here." his voice dripped with venom. Sirius walked slowed from behind the chair to stand in front of his father, he looked down at the carpet. "Are you going to stand there and tell me you are afraid of a little lightening?" he sneered. He didn't understand what was wrong with Sirius. The boy shook his head gloomily. He waved his hand, "Go to your room." he dismissed him. He was tired of looking at him. Sirius turned to go but his way was blocked by the midwife.

The aged midwife saw the look on Sirius face and her heart went out to the boy. "You have a son," she bowed respectfully to Orion. The baby and mother were upstairs resting. "She has named him Regulus," the midwife was keen to get home. She didn't rather like the Blacks, but as she was one of the few pureblood midwives she was always called to assists in their births. And she had been doing that for well over 40 years.

All three of them turned when the sound of the baby Regulus' cries reach their ears. 


	2. Growing up Black

Baby Regulus was a welcomed addition to the Black household if you asked Sirius. Finally he had someone who actually seemed to like him and want to be around him. He didn't understand why his parents bothered to have children at all they didn't seem to like them very much. His father always left the room when Regulus fussed and his mother got the most disgusting look on her face whenever she had to feed him. Soon Sirius took over the job of raising his brother. He was a victim of his parent's love and he didn't want his brother tainted.

It was bath time and though Sirius was only turning 4 on his next birthday growing up Black had made him more self reliant than any other child his age. He could already make his own breakfast and pick out his own clothes, and he was going to make sure his brother could do that same.

He heaved the bubbly 14 month old baby Regulus into the tub full of green bubbles. They seemed to be Regulus' favorite color, he always smiled when he saw the green bubbles. "Bubs," he squealed, splashing his brother with the warm bath water.

Sirius deposited his brother in the tub and shook his curtain of black hair out like a wet dog. Regulus giggled and splashed around in the tub. He liked bath time all most as much as his brother. The water going between his toes tickled and just about made his day if anyone were to ask the baby. Which no one ever did, but that suited Regulus. He liked to keep some things private. He kicked his chubby little legs under the water, churning it and causing it to lap up the side of the tub. This was more fun than opening up his bottle and pouring the milk all over his mother. Though she didn't seem to enjoy it as much as Regulus did. He was under the impression that his mother didn't like him very much. He knew she was his mother because Sirius called her that, but Sirius took care of him. He saw more of his brother than he did anyone else and he had only seen his father once. Was Sirius more his mother than the woman who gave birth to him.

At this thought he stopped splashing and looked up at Sirius. "Mum?" he asked his big brother.

Sirius put down the tiny book he had been reading and looked at his brother. That was the first time he had heard him ask for their mother. He wasn't sure he liked it. "Mother?" he asked his brother kneeling down to look at him. Regulus pointed a finger at his brother.

"Mum?" he asked again. Sirius smiled and nodded his head. He was Regulus' mother and father. Their parents could have care less about them. It was more about carrying on the Black name than nurturing fine young men. Regulus like that answer and went back to playing with his ship and his bubbles.

Regulus would continue to have bath time with his bubbles and his ships up until his sixth birthday when his father would tell him that men didn't frolic around in the bath when there was bathing to be done. It hurt Regulus' feelings and he cried, and only Sirius comforted him.

It was dinner time in the Black house and this was a special dinner. Their cousins Bellatrix and Narcissa were going off to Hogwarts and the family wanted to send them off in style. Regulus didn't really like his cousins. They were very mean and bossy. The only nice one was Andromeda. So Regulus was up in his room standing before his mirror as Sirius tried to wrangle him into his dress robes. To which Regulus kept ripping off.

"I don't want them here," he yelled in frustration and succeeding in ripping a hole in his robes. He smiled, now he couldn't go.

"Now you've gone and done it," Sirius said not really upset at his brother for finding a way out of the dinner. He was trying to think of a good lie that would make sense for both of them to have ripped robes. He sure was hell didn't want to spend an evening with his family. He could barely stomach his mother and father. Let alone his aunt and uncle and their two crazy daughters.

"Not wise Master Regulus," wheezed their house elf Kretcher. The wee thing had recently been assigned to keep an eye on the boys, but he had taken to Regulus like a hippogriff to the air. Sirius was of the opinion that the house elf was actually spying on them. Which of course was right, but Kretcher sure as rain wasn't going to tell him that. The elf ran a long finger over the rip in Regulus' robes. 

Regulus pulled a face when he saw that Kretcher had indeed fixed the rip in his clothes. He was going to cry, yeah that would get him out of this horrible torture that was sure to be dinner. A big fat tear welled up in his eye and he sucked in air to wail like a banshee. Just then a sharp knock on the door distracted him and he deflated like a balloon.

The door swung open and both Regulus and Sirius wanted to groan. It was Bellatrix, and she had a nasty sneer already on her face and it wasn't even 6 o'clock yet. She walked into the room like she was the Queen mum. Her dark hair pulled back into a tight bun in the back of her head. Honestly, what 11 year old wore a bun? "Your mother said to hurry up," she commanded. Her voice was like being doused with a bucket of mind numbing, chilling water. Regulus and Sirius both recoiled. Bellatrix smirked and folded her arms across her bone thin chest. "Go on then. Hurry. Up." Her heavy lidded eyes cut across at both boys and they nearly killed each other racing around the room to get dresses. Neither wanted to be on the receiving end of one of Bella's hexes. Even Kretcher had scattered. Bella loved having that effect on people. It was gratifying for her and commanding a pack of boys no less was the icing on the very crooked cake that was Bellatrix's life. She stood on the middle of the room tapping her little foot impatiently while her cousins got dressed. They weren't going fast enough for her taste but there was a delicate balance that had to be maintained with those two. Sirius was bigger than Bella even though she was older and he had proven when pushed he wasn't above shoving her to the ground, and even though Bella was mean she wasn't crazy and she didn't want to get her dress dirty. So she stood there and glared at both boys while they dressed. "Well its about bloody time," she barked when they were all ready to go down to dinner. "Its a wonder why this family puts so much stock in boys." And with that she whirled around and stormed out of the room.

Regulus' knees stopped knocking and Sirius let out a deep sigh. That was by far the worst thing that had happened to them since the morning they work up to see that horrible house elf head thing in the front room of the house. "You ready?" Sirius asked looking his little brother up and down to make sure he looked alright. His mother would send them straight back to the room to fix anything she thought was out of place. And she would hold up the entire dinner to wait for them just to humiliate them further. And then their father in a very loud voice as only he could do would thank them for allowing everyone to start eating. It always made Regulus cry whenever they did that, but his parents both seemed to enjoy making their sons cry and squirm.

It was time for dinner. Both boys took a deep breath, Regulus rubbed his stomach hoping he didn't have an accident.


	3. Dinner Time Boys!

It was a slow walk down to the family dining room, and both boys were taking their sweet time. Regulus had a cold sweat threatening to ruin his smart robes and Sirius was hoping Regulus would have an accident so he help his clean up and hopefully they would miss the whole dinner.

That however didn't happen. They both turned the corner and the first thing they saw was the sneer on their mother's face. She hated children and only had them to keep the bloodline going and above all clean. She didn't have to like them. "Bellatrix has been back for ages. What kept you two?" she snapped at her children as if they were strangers. Sirius started to snap back, but Regulus grabbed his hand. he hated when his brother got into trouble. It was always bad and it never helped Sirius' situation. Their father saw the exchange.

"For Merlin's sake!' He big beefy hand slammed down on the table. Bellatrix couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Stop that childish hand holding Regulus. And. Sit. Down!" Their bottoms couldn't have found their seats faster if the chair had accioed their butts. Regulus didn't want to cry at the table and especially not in front of Bella and Cissy. They would have been all to pleased to remember him crying and to bring it up to him later. Andromeda gave her cousins reassuring smiles and Regulus smiled back at her. She was the only one of them that was ever nice to him, but then she got the same treatment from her family. So what did that say about her?

Kretcher tottered in laden down with the first course of the family meal. It was pickled eel. Not something Regulus wanted to eat and his face crinkled up in disgust at the smell wafting from his plate.

"I do say Walburga what are you teaching your children that they don't enjoy pickled eel," Druella Black asked. She loved to compare her children to Sirius and Regulus, and in her opinion the Black boys always fell short. Bellatrix and Narcissa like perfect Black angels were daintily picking at their food like proper Black young ladies.

Orion glared at his sister-in-law. If only he could hurl her off the top of a very tall building. "Well they are growing young boys I am sure they are saving their appetites for the main course. Your girls should take a page out of their book. No one wants to marry a fat bride." Druella dropped her fork with a loud clatter and all heads snapped in her direction. Regulus stifled a giggle that was about to escape his mouth. No way did he wanted to get drawn into the line of fire.

"Orion my dearest. I meant no harm. After all this dinner is a celebration. I would hate to mar the occasion with tales of the failures of your sons," she said sickeningly sweet. She was glaring daggers at Orion and everyone's head snapped in his direction to see what he would do. Family dinners rarely ended with smiles and hugs, but this was getting dangerous.

"Well Druella my dear getting into Hogwarts is hardly an achievement. After all The Black Family has been going to Hogwarts since its founding. However the question of Andromeda going to Hogwarts is a different matter entirely." He said sweetly. He left everyone dangling to hear more.

"Why whatever do you mean Orion," Druella asked as she gripped her fork tighter and tighter.

A sinister dark smile spread across Orion's face. "Why Druella surely you know Andomeda isn't even a true Black."

**BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMM!**

No one even saw it coming, no one had time to react. Regulus felt himself being snatched to the floor and pulled under the table and all he saw and smelled was smoke.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Druella screeched as she fried off another spell that Orion once again ducked.


	4. Be a Real Black

It took awhile for the fighting to stop. It was a great fight that the family would talk about for the new 20 years. And all the adults showed signs of a recent fight. The children had been sent upstairs. And no one knew who hated that more. The Black girls or the Black boys. Sirius had ran into his room with Andromeda in tow and when they had reached the safety of his room he had shut the door. He offered to let Regulus come in but Reg didn't want Cissy and Bella having free reign in his room without him there. Regulus hated having Cissy and Bella in his room. They complained about everything and called everything he did or had babyish. Well excuse him for being only 6 years old.

He was sitting on his bed with a storybook propped up on his little lap. It was his favorite. It was about a muggle that fell down a rabbit hole and she landed in a place called Wonderland. He had found it in the trash in the park. He didn't think his parents would approve of it. But Sirius told him he could keep it and so he had.

He was turning a page when his book flew out of his hand and into the waiting hand of Bella. She was holding out her wand. Ever since she got that thing she had been casting spells and charms just because she could. And not all of them were the nice spells and charms. "What baby book are you reading?" she sneered as she opened the book and thumbed through the pages. She was smiling as she looked through the book. But it wasn't a warm, fuzzy smile. It was a sinister smile like she was standing over a poor kid she was about to punch in the nose. "You're reading a book about a muggle?" she looked up from the book as she tore a page out of the book. Regulus hopped off his bed and started toward his cousin and more importantly his book. Cissy grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms behind his back. "Alice in Wonderland," she tore another couple of pages out of the book and scattered them across his floor. "Don't you know muggles are scum?" she seethed as she tore the cover off the book in a display of remarkable strength for a girl her size as the book had a hardback cover.  
>Regulus struggled against Narcissa vice grip on his upper arms. "Please Bella don't rip it," he begged tears streaming down his face. She tore page after page after page out of the book in a fanatical fit of rage. It was raining confetti all around her head. It looked almost like Christmas.<p>

"Does baby want the book!" she screeched sounding just like her mother. "A book about filthy muggles!" She had ripped all the pages out of the book and she pulled out her wand. "Let him go Cissy," Narcissa let go of Regulus and gave him a violent shove to the floor. He went down face first. His head cracked against the wood floor and stars burst in front of his eyes and with the tears in his eyes he was temporarily blinded. It took him a few seconds of vigorous rubbing to clear his field of vision. Bellatrix rolled him over onto his back with her foot. Her wand was pointed right at his face. He was scared of his cousin, but never before had he thought she would really hurt him, until now. He was whimpering and he was praying he didn't have an accident on himself. Bellatrix cackled as a dark light flickered behind her heavy lidded eyes. She looked more like a 40 year old woman and not an 11 year old little girl. Regulus guessed the bun didn't help. "If I ever catch you with anything about muggles after I beat you up I will tell your mother." Regulus paled under her threat. His parents would have a total fit if they knew Regulus was reading books about muggles and he was scared of what they would do if they knew Sirius had let him keep the book.

Narcissa gave a girly little laugh, "Look how scared he is Bella," Narcissa was just Bella's henchmen but she could be just as scary as her big sister when she wanted to be.

Bella laughed, "He better be scared." She pointed her wand at the stack of pages that had been blown into the fireplace at on the wall opposite his opened windows. She set fire to the pages with her wand. Regulus sat up and watched his book going up in flames. The sisters stood and watched and giggled at their baby cousin. Regulus cried.


	5. Presentable Black

He didn't say anything and neither did Sirius, but Regulus was glad his brother was there. He hadn't spoken to him in a week, but he was glad to have him.

"Do you think I'm a baby?" Regulus asked softly. He felt Sirius chest rise.

"Of course not. Who told you that?" Sirius shifted on the bed. He forgot about that pack of chocolate frogs in his pocket and he was sure they were all melted by now.

Regulus sighed, "Bella and Cissy.."

Sirius stiffened, "Don't listen to anything they say. Those two are disgusting and horrible." Venom laced his words and that caused Reg to turn around to face his big brother. "They aren't like us Reg. They are mean and vicious and they don't love you." Sirius told his brother.

A single tear slid down Regulus pale cheek. "Bella set my book on fire," when he said the words the torrent of tears burst from his eyes and he buried his face in his brother's chest. Sirius wrapped his arms around his brother and held him close as he cried. He cursed Bellatrix and Narcissa to the deepest pit of hell he could think of. Regulus was shaking from the effort but it was good for him to get it out. "Shhhh Reg its ok I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore." he promised. He would make them pay for hurting his brother.

The brothers slept in Regulus bed that night. Neither went down for dinner. Regulus didn't go because he just didn't feel like it Sirius didn't go because he didn't feel like looking into his parents faces knowing they would have cheered the bullying of their baby son. And their parents trying to toughen them up didn't send up any supper.

For the first time in a week Regulus slept without nightmares coupled with tossing and turning. Sirius hated to see his brother in pain and he cursed Bellatrix and Narcissa to the furtherest pit in Azkaban.

The light spilled into the room inching its way across the floor. It warmed the scrubbed wooden floor till it hit the bed and danced across Sirius' face. His alabaster face wrinkled up and his hand flew up to block out the offending rays. He looked back his brother who has his thumb tucked securely in his mouth. He was sleeping peacefully and Si didn't want to wake him. He slipped out of the bed and padded out of the intending to head to his own room and catch a few more hours of sleep before his mom decided he was having too much fun not having her shout at him.

"Sirius," came the shriek. He winced and stopped short. His mother's voice just had a way of boring into his brain and making itself comfortable somewhere in his frontal lobe. He turned back toward the stairs. His mother was standing at the top of the landing in her Black glory. She looked ready for pillaging and plundering a small country dressed in her stiff ankle length black gown with its stiff collar and magnificent scowl.

Regulus stumbled out of his room. His mother's shriek was the best alarm clock if he ever found one. Mrs. Black looked from one disappointing son to the other. Regulus cowed under his mother's scrutiny, and his tiny fingers raked at his tousled mop of hair, trying to tame it. Sirius was doing no such thing.

"We are going to the Ministry today. You have one hour to make yourselves presentable." She sneered in Sirius' direction, she was still holding out hope for Regulus, though that hope was waning fast. She turned on her Victorian high boots and as gracefully as a woman her size could do she tipped down the stairs with her gnarled hand gripping the banister for all it was worth.

All the air whooshed out of Regulus and he had to lean against the door jam for support. It was rare that his mother actually talked to him and when she did he always felt like he had crawled through a battlefield. His knees were wobbly and he looked up at his big brother. Sirius had a glazed looked in his eye. "Sirius," he called. his brother blinked and looked up at him. Regulus gave him a small smile. He didn't want Sirius going to that dark place. He really seemed to hate their parents whereas Regulus just tolerated them and avoided them at all costs if he could. "Thank you for staying with me." he told him. Sirius finally smiled and gave him a slight nod of his head as he disappeared into his room.

Regulus walked back into his room and gathered up his bathroom kit and headed down the hall toward the bathroom. He sure as dragon didn't want to go to the Ministry and be put on display like he was a newly groomed crup, but he had no choice. And an order given by his mother was not open to discussion or reason.

He dumped all his toys and ducks on the floor. There wouldn't be time to play 'catch the invisible duck' today he only had on hour to get read. Toady The Great looked up at him forlornly. "I can't play with you today." he told him firmly. The toad croaked and hopped into the tub anyways. No one told him there was no time for bath fun. That was just silly if you asked him. The tap water turned on and soon the tub was frothy with water and Regulus' bubble bath. He climbed over the edge of the tub, but he grip wasn't that great and with much pomp and circumstance the little Black tumbled right into the bath tub head first. A mushroom cloud of Toady and bubbles erupted from the tub and splashed down all over the bathroom. He sank like a stone down to the bottom of the tub and when he emerged sputtering and spitting water Toady was sitting in Sirius' hand looking right smug with himself.

Sirius dropped the toad back into the water and tried to hide the grin on his face. "I heard the splash thought you could use a rescue team." Regulus giggled and splashed some of his bath water at his brother. Sirius ducked and the blue bubbles bounced off the wall and still managed to land in Sirius' hair. They liked it there. Sirius had great hair. "Just hurry up Reg you heard what your mother said," he warned his baby brothers as he slid over to the sinks to brush his teeth. Regulus took the warning to heart and she scrubbed every square inch of his body even cleaning out his bellybutton which contained that stray Bertie bean he had been looking for. There was no time to save that for later. He tossed it to Today who was going to save it for later. Sirius was trying something different with his hair Regulus saw. He had been eyeing that new girl with the black pigtails who had moved in down the street. Regulus felt a pang of jealousy and his face scrunched up. "What are you frowning for?" Sirius asked when he finally got his hair in a bad imitation of his favorite Wizard detective, Ace Bloomfield. He winked at his reflection as he turned to his brother with his question. Regulus hadn't realized that his emotions were flicking across his face and he looked up guiltily. He climbed out of the tub with more care than when he had gone in and snatched up his towel. He swaddled himself in the towel and shook his head.

"Nothing," he answered hoping Si took the answer. Which he did with a shrug of his own.

"Hurry up Reg," he said as a farewell. Regulus nodded and zoomed through the rest of his grooming rituals. Which weren't nearly as extensive as Sirius. He just took a brush and attacked his wet hair and slid his toothbrush around in his mouth hoping at least some of the toothpaste made contact with his teeth.

He the bathroom looking like a six year old walking toothpaste ad with bits of the green paste dried to his cheeks and his forehead. He didn't know, he thought he was looking as presentable as his mother had requested he be.


End file.
